liar, liar
by candycity
Summary: [Colin/Romilda] "Have I ever lied to you, Romilda?" Two-shot, one chapter for each character's POV. Second place in Dear.stiny's 'Can You Write A Romance' Challenge in the HPFC Forum.
1. Chapter 1

_Written for .Destiny's 'Can You Write A Romance?' Challenge._

**Pairing**: /ColinRomilda./

**A/N:** Okay, so this is a twoshot, one chapter for each point of view. Just to clarify things a bit, they are BOTH in their fifth year.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

**Chapter One:** Liar, Liar (Colin's POV)

* * *

The first thing he noticed about her was her eyes. Large, dark, and captivating, framed by a curtain of long, dark lashes.

And then he noticed that those eyes were staring straight at Harry Potter. She was standing on tiptoe, trying to catch his gaze. And his, in turn, was directed at Ginny Weasley.

An unfamiliar emotion overcame him, propelling him to walk up to her. "What's your name?" he asked. They were nearly the same height, as she was not a tall person.

She blinked, her long lashes fluttering. He wondered absently if her eyelids were heavy, with the weight of her eyelashes.

"Romilda," she answered, "Romilda Vane."

_They were in their third year, and he had fallen in love with a stranger.  


* * *

_

"Colin! Hey, Colin!" a voice shouted. He turned around to face a panting Romilda, bent over and sweating.

"Sorry," she said in her loud, clear voice. "I needed to ask you a favour." She lowered her voice. "Could you get me a photo of Harry Potter? Please?" Her eyes were wide and pleading, and Colin pushed back the now-familiar emotion that he experienced every time he saw her; that he hadn't quite placed yet. He wasn't going to refuse her, but he didn't want her to leave yet.

"Why?" seemed like a good compromise.

"Because...because..." she shook her head in frustration. "Just because, okay? If you can't do it, just tell me. I understand."

"Of course I can." His voice sounded much too bright, and as false as a foam snow. "When do you need it?"

She smiled, and his heart skipped a beat. "Anytime, Colin," she said lightly. "Whenever your fancy." And she was off, her explosion of wild dark curls swinging. His eyes followed them, almost in a hypnotic state.

_They were in their fourth year, when he first understood jealousy._

* * *

"Go out with me?" he asked. Much to his embarrassment, his voice cracked.

She smiled, almost sympathetically. "You're one of my best friends, Colin," she said kindly, "but I'm not ready for a relationship yet. You know I just broke up with Steven. Besides, isn't this kind of sudden?"

_No_, he wanted to yell. _I've fancied you since third year, you idiot! _But he bit back his words, and swallowed hard.

"Yeah, it is," he lied, "but today's Valentine's Day, and it would be cool if we visited Hogsmeade for a drink or something." He grinned. "My treat."

She laughed lightly. "A free drink? Sure." He offered her his hand playfully, and she hooked her arm through his.

"And off we go, Princess," he joked, and they both laughed. If she noticed that he was faking it, she didn't say so.

After all, he _was_ an expert at hiding how he felt.

_It was the beginning of their fifth year, and he was no stranger to heartbreak._

* * *

"No," she said firmly. "I refuse to let you go. Absolutely not." _Why was she being so difficult? _he thought, amused yet frustrated._ It's just a fight, after all._

"Romilda -" he tried. "I said, no!" she yelled, her eyes captivating eyes filling with tears. "You're all I have, Colin," she said quietly, "you're my best friend. My family is gone, and you're off to fight the people who MURDERED THEM!" Her voice had risen to a shriek, and even Colin was taken aback.

"I have to, R'milda," he argued, "I can't let them win. I have to help." He tried to walk away, but she grabbed his arm.

"You're a fifth-year, Colin! Exactly how much can a seventeen-year-old do? What will I do if you don't come back?"

"I will," he said confidently. "Have I ever lied to you, R'milda?" He smiled at her, winked, and slipped out of the Room of Requirement. "I'll come back, Romilda. I promise," he called, before he closed the doors quietly behind him.

_It was the end of their fifth year, when he first broke a promise._


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Harry Potter.

**Chapter Two:** Don't Leave (Romilda's POV)

* * *

If she said that the day she met him was the happiest day of her life, she would be lying.

She wasn't having a very good day. She was just trying to catch a glimpse of her longtime crush, when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around and blinked, only recognising him vaguely from around the school.

And he seemed...familiar. Like she'd known him forever. It was odd, really...

"What's your name?" His voice brought her back to reality. She looked him over – he was quite nice-looking, actually. But _why_ did she feel like she'd known him her entire life?

"Romilda," she answered quickly, "Romilda Vane."

He smiled – it was a nice smile, warm and friendly – and her breath caught in her throat.

"I'm Colin Creevey," he said, holding out his hand. She shook it.

"Pleasure."

The day she met Colin Creevey wasn't the happiest day of her life. But meeting him...it was the best thing she'd ever done.

* * *

_They were in their third year, and she knew nothing.

* * *

_

"He sooo likes you," her best friend, Lena, giggled. Romilda rolled her eyes, but felt a blush spread over her cheeks. "Don't be an idiot, Lena," she said. "We're friends, that's all."

"That's what they all say," Lena said knowledgably, "if you're so sure, go up to him and ask for a photo of Harry – or Cedric, maybe – and we'll see if he gets jealous. I dare you."

She wasn't about to turn down a dare. "All right," she hopped off her bed. "C'mon, we shouldn't be hanging around on such a gorgeous day anyway."

They ran down to the grounds and she spotted Colin. "You go," Lena said, with a sly smile. "Remember to ask him loud and clear, so I can hear."

Romilda rolled her eyes again, but felt slightly nervous. She ran up to him. "Colin – hey, Colin!" she yelled, and raced after him. He stopped and turned around. "Sorry – but I need to ask you a favour," she said clearly. He smiled that warm smile, and she felt her face heat up and her heart do that jump-y thing again. "Could you get me a photo of Harry Potter? Please?" She widened her eyes and tried to hide her insincerity. His smile flickered for a second, and Lena winked at her. Romilda scowled.

"Why?" he questioned. "Because...because..." she fumbled for an excuse and could think of none. "Ugh, just because, okay? If you can't do it, just tell me. I'll understand."

"Of course I can," he said brightly. "When do you need it?" She noticed that his eyes were way different from the tone of his voice, and she smiled weakly. "Anytime, Colin. Whenever you fancy." _Even better, don't give me the damnned thing at all. _

"Great." He turned and walked away. She made a motion to follow him, but stopped herself and walked back to Lena, who was smiling smugly.

"I _told_ you so." Romilda scowled again.

* * *

_They were in their fourth year, and her emotions in a disarray.

* * *

_

"Hey, Romilda – can I talk to you for a second?" Colin asked, his face betraying his anxiety. Romilda shrugged carelessly, but her heart skipped a beat. _Dammit, why do I always feel this way around him?_

"Sure," she answered, and followed him into the corridor. "What was it you wanted to ask me?"

"Um, see..." He fiddled with his fingers nervously, which Romilda found absolutely adorable. _No_, she scolded herself, _Best friends don't think each other are adorable. Don't even think about it._

"Go out with me?" he asked suddenly, his voice cracking slightly. Romilda was about to wholeheartedly agree, when she remembered: Steven HAD just broken up with her. Colin was probably asking her out because of pity. And Romilda Vane was NOT a pity date person.

She plastered a smile on her face, hoping it looked kind and friendly. "You're one of my best friends, Colin," she said, "but I'm not ready for a relationship yet. You know I just broke up with Steven. Besides, isn't this kind of sudden?" _WASN'T IT?_

He looked like he was about to counter her statement, but then the argument left his eyes and he slumped back in defeat. "Yeah it is," he admitted, albeit slightly reluctantly, "but today's Valentine's Day, and it would be cool if we visited Hogsmeade for a drink or something." _Damn, it WAS a pity date._ "My treat," he said, grinning brightly, although it looked slightly forced. But she was probably just imagining it.

The nest few minutes were somewhat of a blur. She'd finally understood why her heart seemed to skip a beat whenever he was near her, and why her brain kind of turned fuzzy when he smiled.

She was in love with her best friend.

_Well, damn it.

* * *

_

_It was the beginning of their fifth year, and she had fallen in love with her best friend.

* * *

_

"No way, Creevey," she said stubbornly, "I refuse to let you go. Absolutely not." A flash of something that looked suspiciously like amusement crossed his face, and she scowled, holding the tears back.

"Romilda-" he started to say. 'I said, NO!" She could feel her eyes fill up with tears, and she knew that any second now, she would start crying like a baby. _No_, she told herself fiercely, _Not yet._

"You're all I have, Colin. You're my best friend. My family is gone, and you're off to fight the people who MURDERED THEM!" She could feel herself start to hyperventilate, and Colin placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her down, but she shook it off.

"I have to, R'milda. I can't let them win. I have to help." He started to walk away, but Romilda was quicker. She grabbed his arm and tried to talk some sense into him, putting on a calm front and presenting a logical argument.

"You're a fifth year, Colin," she said calmly, choking back the emotions that threatened to overwhelmed her, "Exactly how much can a seventeen-year old do? What will I do if you don't come back?"

"I will," he said, with an air of confidence. "Have I ever lied to you, Romilda?" He walked towards the door, and Romilda felt herself frozen in place. _Don't leave, _she wanted to plead. _Stay with me. Please._

"I'll come back, Romilda. I promise." Then he left.

Backing up against the wall, she started to cry freely.

_You'd better come back, Colin. You have to.

* * *

_

_Epilogue_

"_I'm sorry, Romilda," Hermione said softly, entering the Room of Requirement. Romilda looked up, her eyes still rimmed with red. But now, a sense of disbelief had overcome her. "No," she said quietly, "NO!"_

_She pushed past Hermione and raced down the stairs. In the Great Hall were a row of bodies, surrounded by sobbing people._

_Then she caught sight of him. So small, so helpless-looking. Nothing like the brave, energetic boy he was when he was alive._

_She ran over to him. His wand was still in his hand, but his eyes were blank and glassy. She kneeled down beside him. "No," she said again, "You promised you'd come back, Colin! YOU PROMISED!" Her scream filled the Great Hall, drowning out the crying of the other mourners. _

_What she feared – what she knew would happen but hoped, prayed that it wouldn't – had happened._

_Colin Creevey was dead, and she was all alone in the world.

* * *

_

_It was the end of their fifth year, and she was alone._


End file.
